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Nats acquire lefty to complete DeJesus deal

Nats acquire lefty to complete DeJesus deal

WASHINGTON -- The Nationals on Thursday acquired left-hander Matthew Spann as the player to be named from the Rays, completing the Aug. 23 deal that sent David DeJesus to Tampa Bay.

Spann, 22, spent the past two seasons primarily as a starter before shifting to the bullpen this year. He went 4-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 19 appearances (four starts) for Class A Bowling Green, including a 2.50 ERA in his 15 relief outings.

"We got some good scouting reports on him," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. "I've never seen him personally, but we've got some good reports on him."

A 25th-round pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, Spann is listed at 6-foot-7, 185 pounds. Rizzo did not know if the left-hander has recently put on any additional weight.

In four professional seasons, Spann is 14-10 with a 3.03 ERA over 59 games.

Tom Schad is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.